....Places to go, places to eat and other stuff loosely-linked to London living...

Friday, 3 October 2008

Sun & Doves, Coldharbour Lane, Camberwell, south London

Just round the corner from the sprawling King's Hospital complex, the Sun & Doves draws a steady flow of medics on weekday lunchtimes. Inside, the spacious bar has an eclectic, but stylish, decor, an attractive black stone floor and cosy corners with leather sofas, books, televisions and a collection of videos. On the walls is an odd mix of prints and African-style art, including some narrow, painted shields, and the chill-out music is loud and moody. Out back, is a large patio with its own collection of quirky art and artifacts. You can soak it all up while surfing the Web via the free Wi-Fi. The Sun & Doves menu, which includes salmon fishcakes (£8.50) and rump steak (£9.95), is straight out of the gentrified pub playbook. There are also some cheaper staples, such as burgers, soup and sandwiches. The cream of mushroom soup contains some strange stringy bits, but is well seasoned and has some flavour. There is a generous filling in the avocado, bacon and chicken toasted sandwich. You can get the soup of the day and a sandwich (just two rounds of bread) for £5.90. The Americano coffee (£1.70) is strong, but on the small side and watch out for the optional service charge of 10%. 7/10